InfiniteISO Loc: The Carolinas, USA

An assortment of this year's themed photos. We had fun, and I learned a lot. As for the Flaming Pumpkin Shots: I've played with theses images six ways to Sunday and the short story is I really need to approach this theme next year armed with what this session has taught me. Still, I thought I'd share some of my edits because it's the witching season. All manipulations are via Light Room only.

De-Saturated except for Reds, Two Flashes at 1/16th

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Late Afternoon with Fill Flash

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Two Fill Flashes at 1/32

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Just a hint of LED fill lighting

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Led Light with Amber Gel

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De-Saturated Except for Orange

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Runninglate Loc: Saint Cloud, Florida

I have always had problems with taking pictures of fire when it is dark. But you seem to have done a pretty good job at figuring out what needs to be done. Look forward to what you do in the future. Great halloween look....................

InfiniteISO Loc: The Carolinas, USA

Thanks. And by figuring it out, you mean cheating, LOL.

If you are relying on a fire for illuminating your subject, often by the time the subject has enough light via a long exposure, the fire will be a washed out hot spot with no definition. As you can see in all of these the subject would never be illuminated by the fire because she's in front of it in relationship to the camera. You can fill with colored light, or you can fill with white light and change your white balance to drive the light to the color you want. I tried both approaches. Luckily our friends were helping fill the fiddling time with fun banter which made the shoot more enjoyable for the model.

What I want to strive for in my next attempt is better focus and less noise. It's all a balancing act. I use radio flashes so I don't have modeling lamps. I had a friend cutting a lamp on and off close to the model so I could focus when I was using a wide aperture. Still, with such a narrow depth of field I wasn't getting the crispness I wanted. So over the course of the shoot I kept closing down the aperture and throwing more light on the subject. This reduced the light available from the pumpkins. I really wasn't happy with any of the results but you learn by doing and failing.

canadaboy

OK I think I understand. This is a joke is'nt it? Lovely lady I am sure when dressed but naked? Who thought that would work. Have to admire her spirit and sense of fun but this once is enough. Photos all well taken so just pay up and get a suitable model maybe with a few less miles on the clock and a bit more in shape.
So you say we should not comment on the model? I drive a plain and old Ford. Would not make for interesting auto shots. For that I would hire a decent car. Simply horses for courses.

WorldTraveler Loc: San Antonio, TX, now in Greenfield IN

More great pictures of a very elegant, comfortable woman. My wife and I think it's a wonderful thing that other women are comfortable enough to share the female form with others. Our compliments on the presentation.

Clint and Anna

Stephan G

The last three letters of the username is telling.

Old Confucius saying: World always imperfect to one with closed eyes. (Found in late 1970s in Chinese fortune cookie)

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Excellent Halloween set.

InfiniteISO Loc: The Carolinas, USA

Good one, Stephan!

My model is not going to be everyone's cup of tea, and his comments don't bother me or her. As some of you know, she is a very aware partner in our photographic endeavours.

Based on Canadaboy's comments I've been thinking about what I would look for if I went shopping for a younger model to shoot. It's an interesting mental exercise that I just may follow through on. So far this year I've shot roughly 15,000 images in this category and over half of those were of my partner. The remaining shots were other women in our informal group. In prior years I've occasionally picked up a boudoir shoot from a referral.

Call me lucky, or unambitious, I've never paid for the services of a model. Prior to getting married I shot just about every woman I dated and many of their friends. For me, this mix of women had quite a variety of looks as many of these relationships developed after I got to know the women. In other words, appearance was not that important to me. That said, my personal preference based on looks alone has always been to the more voluptuous.

As I was just looking at models in my area on Model Mayhem, set ideas came to me and changed as I went from person to person. The physique of the model often inspires what you want to try and what setting you might place them in. With our little group, the paramount rule is to try and keep poses flattering. Since my wife often has her best friend tagging along there are two women I have to satisfy in that regard when she's in front of my lens. Making sure the model looks as good as possible is great practice for boudoir work, but is a bit limiting.

If I do hire a model in the next few months I'll be sure to include some images here. I can pretty much guarantee that she'll be north of 25 years of age. I can't imagine working with anyone younger than that.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

You have a beautiful model. No need to hire one when you have a perfect one already.
I get tired of skinny boy looking models with boobs.
Women should look like women not skinny boys.

Stephan G

Don't sell yourself short. You will do as well with the under-25 models. It always depends on the model. My personal bane are the thin yoga minded ones. They can present angles that even now I find difficult to shoot or draw.

InfiniteISO Loc: The Carolinas, USA

My wife certainly appreciates your feedback. Hiring a model would be for fun and variety. My wife would certainly be involved in any shoot I did as well. My daughter modeled during her teen years and so my wife is used to the role of photographer's assistant and creative consultant and chaperone, LOL. I think she would get as a big a kick out of the experience as I would.

Stephan G

Great! Male models in the mix?



Something in the Hallowe'en chocolate made me type that.

InfiniteISO Loc: The Carolinas, USA

I'm unlikely to know a model I hire via a model's site. My preference of someone not too terribly young is just to avoid dealing with someone terribly young. I have children in their teens and early twenties. As I like to remind the older two, while they are "adults" their experience at adulthood is limited. A 19 year old model has been an "adult" for 1 year. A 25 year old has been an "adult" for 7 years. That's 600% increase

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Agreed.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

She is incredibly beautiful and should not give up on modeling.
If you do get models stick with the beautiful ones like her.